Fiber Optic Networking
FIBER OPTIC NETWORKS
Optical fibers are used most often as a means to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber and find wide usage in fiber optic communications, where they permit transmission over longer distances and at higher bandwidths (data transfer rates) than electrical cables.
Fiber Optic Network
Fiber-optic internet, commonly called fiber internet or simply “fiber,” is a broadband connection that can reach speeds of up to 940 Megabits per second (Mbps), with low lag time. The technology uses fiber-optic cable, which amazingly can send data as fast as about 70% the speed of light.
How does fiber optic internet work?
Fiber-optic internet is a complex technology that allows the transmission of information in the form of light rather than electricity. There are many pieces that make up this advanced technology, but two key components are optical fiber trunks and the so called “last mile” of the fiber-optic network.
Optical Fibers
Optical fibers are tiny — about 125 microns in diameter, or slightly larger than a human hair. Many of these fibers are bundled together to form cables (not to be confused with coaxial cables, which are made of copper). The optical fibers carry pulses of laser or LED light down the line, transmitting information in “binary” form, similar to the 0s and 1s used in electronics.
Once these super fast pulses of light reach their destination, they are converted into electrical output that your devices can understand and use. This is performed by a special piece of equipment called the optical network terminal, which then sends the signal through an ethernet connection to the user. The stretch between the main fiber network line and the end user is referred to as the “last mile” (though it is often much shorter than a mile).
“Pure fiber” refers to fiber connections that run all the way to the end user’s home, business or desktop computer. This is the fastest and most expensive “last mile” option, as it brings the full speed and reliability of fiber straight to the consumer.
As an alternative, copper cables are often used to carry the fiber connection from a terminal called a “street cabinet” to a whole housing block, campus or residential building. This option is less expensive, but a small amount of the fiber speed is lost in the “last mile.”
How is fiber different from other types of internet?
The main difference is that fiber doesn’t utilize electric current like other types of internet connections do. It uses light, delivered through the fiber glass core.
Types of fiber optic cables
Multimode fiber and single-mode fiber are the two primary types of fiber optic cable. Single Mode fiber is used for longer distances due to the smaller diameter of the glass fiber core, which lessens the possibility for attenuation: the reduction in signal strength. The smaller opening isolates the light into a single beam, which offers a more direct route and allows the signal to travel a longer distance. Single-mode fiber also has a considerably higher bandwidth than multimode fiber. The light source used for single mode fiber is typically a Laser. Single-mode fiber is usually more expensive since it requires precise calculations to produce the laser light in a smaller opening.
Fiber optics, or optical fiber, refers to the medium and the technology associated with the transmission of information as light pulses along a glass or plastic strand or fiber. Fiber optics is used for long distance and high performance data networking.
Fiber optics is also commonly used in telecommunication services such as internet, television and telephones. For example, DISH and Google use fiber optics in their Dish Fiber and Google fiber services: respectively, providing gigabit internet speeds to users.
Fiber optic cables are used as they hold a number of advantages over copper cables, such as higher bandwidth and transmit speeds.
A fiber optic cable can contain a varying number of these glass fibers — from a few up to a couple hundred. Surrounding the glass fiber core is another glass layer called cladding. A layer known as a buffer tube protects the cladding, and a jacket layer acts as the final protective layer for the individual strand.
How fiber optics works
Fiber optics transmit data in the form of light particles – or photons — that pulse through a fiber optic cable. The glass fiber core and the cladding each have a different refractive index that bends incoming light at a certain angle. When light signals are sent through the fiber optic cable, they reflect off the core and cladding in a series of zig-zag bounces, adhering to a process called total internal reflection. The light signals do not travel at the speed of light because of the denser glass layers, instead traveling about 30% slower than the speed of light. To renew, or boost, the signal throughout its journey, fiber optics transmission sometimes requires repeaters at distance intervals to regenerate the optical signal by converting it to an electrical signal, processing that electrical signal and retransmitting the optical signal.
Fiber optic cables are moving toward supporting up to 10-Gbps signals. Typically, as the bandwidth capacity of a fiber optic cable increases, the more expensive it becomes.
Types of fiber optic cables
Multimode fiber and single-mode fiber are the two primary types of fiber optic cable. Single mode is used for longer distances due to the smaller diameter of the glass fiber core, which lessens the possibility for attenuation — the reduction in signal strength. The smaller opening isolates the light into a single beam, which offers a more direct route and allows the signal to travel a longer distance. Single-mode fiber also has a considerably higher bandwidth than multimode fiber. The light source used for single-mode fiber is typically a laser. Single mode fiber is usually more expensive since it requires precise calculations to produce the laser light in a smaller opening.
Multimode fiber is used for shorter distances because the larger core opening allows light signals to bounce and reflect more along the way. The larger diameter permits multiple light pulses to be sent through the cable at one time, which results in more data transmission. This also means that there is more possibility for signal loss, reduction or interference, however. Multimode fiber optics typically use an LED to create the light pulse.
While copper wire cables were the traditional choice for telecommunication, networking and cable connections for years, fiber optics has become a common alternative. Most telephone company long-distance lines are now made of fiber optic cables. Optical fiber carries more information than conventional copper wire, due to its higher bandwidth and faster speeds. Because glass does not conduct electricity, fiber optics is not subject to electromagnetic interference, and signal loss is minimized.
Fiber Optic Uses
Optical fiber is used by telecommunications companies to transmit telephone signals, Internet communication and cable television signals. It is also used in other industries, including medical, defense, government, industrial and commercial.
Computer networking is a common fiber optics use case due to optic fiber’s capacity to transmit data and provide high bandwidth. Likewise, fiber optics is much used in broadcasting and electronics to give better connections and performance. Internet and line box are two of the more ordinarily institute exercises of fiber optics. Fiber optics can be installed to support long distance connections between computer networks in different points.
Military and Space organizations also make use of optic fiber as a means of communication and signal transfer, in addition to its capacity to provide temperature readings. fiber optical lines is often preferred due to their lighter weight and lesser size.
Fiber optics is heavily used in a variety of medical instruments to provide precise illumination. It also enables biomedical detectors that aid in minimally invasive medical procedures. Because optic fiber isn’t subject to electromagnetic interference, it’s ideal for multihued tests like MRI inspections. Other medical operations for fiber optics include X-ray imaging, endoscopy, light cure, and surgical microscopy.
reference sources : https://www.supertechpro.com/contact/, : https://www.centurylink.com/home/help/internet/fiber/what-is-fiber-internet.html, : https://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/fiber-optics-optical-fiber
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